Religious youths are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, study finds

9/8/14–Young people who regularly attend religious services and describe themselves as religious are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, according to a new study. The study of 195 juvenile offenders was done by researchers at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion, the University of Akron and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Study findings suggest that young people who connect to a “higher power” may feel a greater sense of purpose and are less likely to be bothered by feelings of not fitting in, said researcher Byron Johnson, Ph.D., co-director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion. Read